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The month of September is a great month to get your “Use it or Lose it!” letters and emails out to your patients. This is for all of your patients that have dental benefits that renew on January 1st .and patients with FSA or HSA dollars that expire at the end of the year. Especially helpful for your patients that are /pastdue/due/or due this year for their hygiene visit and/or with treatment that is yet to be started or needs to be completed and their remaining dental insurance maximums are getting ready to expire.

Time to remind them to Use it or Lose it! – Get your letters, emails and text messages out to your patients reminding them to use any insurance benefits they have remaining for the year to complete any needed treatment or for their continuing care hygiene appointment before they lose them.

Some offices choose to mail these letters out in early September. I think October works well too. Remember, the closer it gets to the end of the year the more difficult it becomes to get them to schedule and you may not even have room in your schedule to accommodate them.

Your goal is to get them from the filing cabinet/computer to the schedule!

Personalize – When mailing out remaining maximum letters, be sure to customize for each patient according to their treatment plan. This will help to re-create the urgency and value for treatment. For some patients, it will take some type of additional incentive to get them to act. Perhaps, include a gift certificate for $ off of their treatment if it’s completed and paid for by December 31st. Not redeemable for cash. Or the opportunity to enter a raffle for a really great prize!

Here is a scripting idea for your “Use it or Lose it! letters:

2018 is just around the corner! We want to remind you to take advantage of any unused dental insurance benefits. Make sure to use all available benefits to complete any outstanding treatment or for your all important preventive dental hygiene appointment. Almost all plans do not let you rollover unused dollars to the next benefit year. So, Use ‘Em or Lose ‘Em!

If you have funds set aside in a flexible spending account (FSA) or healthcare saving account (HSA), now is the time to schedule treatment so your co-payment amounts can be applied to this year’s deductions.

Call us today to schedule your appointment. We find that the holiday season is always our “busy time” and we are certain it is a very busy time for you too.

Beat the end of year rushes and get in early, our phone number is ………

We’re ready to help you smile healthier & happier in 2018!

Take this opportunity to add a P.S. message to the end of your letter, telling your patients all about your specials on teeth whitening. Many people at this time of year are looking to whiten their teeth for their end of year celebration family photos, or to buy gifts for family and friends.

For example…

P.S. Now is a great time to whiten & brighten your smile for your end of year celebration photos. We have some fantastic whitening specials! Teeth whitening gift cards also make a wonderful gift.

P.P.S. Did you know we are on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter? “Like” us on Facebook at … and “follow” us on Instagram, and Twitter at …- This way you can stay up to date with all our office events & news plus have a chance at exclusive offers & contests.

Mailing Tip – Use a bright-colored envelope and neatly hand-write the name and address. Use a “live” stamp. This will take a little more time to do but your patients are more likely to open an envelope that looks like it’s from a friend and not their dentist.

Phone Calls – About a week after you mail out your letters, go ahead and start calling them to see if they received the letter and to schedule them an appointment.

Document – Be sure to document that a letter was mailed, phone calls were made and what type of response you received from each patient.

Important Reminder – Before sending out these letters and making calls to your patients be sure to review your upcoming appointment schedule… Where is your open chair time? Will pre-blocking some open time be helpful? Also, before scheduling last minute appointments that require lab work, be sure to communicate with your lab guy/gal that they can, in fact, get these cases back to you in time.

Wishing you all a full schedule for the end of the year!

Please comment below to share your ideas or to give this post a like.

Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your email inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. Or send me your email address and I will send you an invite to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea!

Build relationships between your office team and potential new patients

Stay in Touch with your Active and Inactive Patients

Increase your Online Presence

Learn what your patients/potential patients want

Improve Community Involvement

Manage and Increase your Online Reputation

Great Way to Advertise Special Events and Office Specials

Excellent Dental Education Tool

Surely, you can see that in order to be effective and successful with your use of social media, it’s not a case of “if you build it they will come”. Yes, you must build it; however, you must also develop and nurture it. It takes time and effort to build relationships. The key is the engagement. Just posting to your sites will not effectively engage your audience.

You effectively engage (build relationships) by;

Acknowledging comments and likes on your posts.

Interact with other local business pages, this means, visiting & liking their pages, commenting on their posts and sharing their content. Remember, every time you do this, all of the people (potential patients) that see these business pages will also see your office comments and likes. It’s planting little marketing seeds.)

Post quality content. WIIFM (What’s In It for Me?) not you, but your target audience, your patients and potential patients. What content will capture their attention?

Be real – share information, pictures and videos not only about your office but of you and your team. Show your audience that within the office building are real people, people who care about dental health, care about changing smiles & improving lives, care about each other, care about their patients and care about their community.

I understand that not all business owners (Doctors) want to nor do they have the time required to start and grow a social media presence. Take a look at your employees; do you have someone who is a good candidate to help you do this? Someone that you can train to be the “voice” of your practice?

If not, I happen to love working with social media as a dental marketing source. Contact me today bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com to set up your complimentary consultation.

Perhaps, your social media pages are set up, yet, you struggle to know what to post on your pages.

Here are some quick ideas for you:

Dental Health Tips

Dental Emergency Instruction

How to Videos/link to YouTube

Health Tips

Office Contest Information

Trivia Questions

Fill in the Blank statements

Quotes (Motivational, Funny and/or Inspiring)

Community News (Events, weather, sports news, etc)

Team Member News (work anniversaries, family news, etc)

Patient News

Product & Service Information

News about Continuing Education

Employee Spotlight

Testimonials/Review

Before and After Smiles

Pictures of team members having fun

Acknowledge all “likes” and “comments” on your posts

Share local business posts to your social media pages

Comment and like other businesses posts

Ask your audience to please share your page with their friends & family

Openings in Schedule (note: avoid saying “we have a cancellation” instead say something like: “__ has an opening in his/her schedule today at 11:00 for your all important dental hygiene visit…” Whatever you say, saying change in schedule is better than saying cancellation.

A few more tips…

Vary the times you post or share on your social media sites.

Don’t spam with too many posts in a day.

Occasionally boost your Facebook posts.

Invite your patients to check-in on your office page.

If your team is active on social media sites, encourage them to engage with the office social media pages (ie: like, comment and share posts)

Would you prefer to have someone create the content for you? It would be my pleasure to provide you with engaging and sharable content, custom to your office and community. Content that you can simply copy and paste to your social media pages or, I’ll create the custom content and do all of the work of posting to your sites and help to build relationships with local businesses on their social media pages.

Fresh content and posts just for your office! Done in a way that your patients and potential patients believe it’s coming straight from your office. Sound good to you?

Contact me today bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com to set up your Complimentary Consultation.

I love hearing your comments, feel free to comment and share your ideas and what content works well for your office.

Have you subscribed to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. You can subscribe right here on this page or send me your email address and I can send you a link to subscribe. This way, you won’t miss a single idea!

Great opportunity to talk about the importance of protecting precious smiles with mouthguards. Consider hosting a mouthguard clinic in your office. Reach out to local schools and sports team. Use your social media sites to promote Youth Sports Safety Month.

Community Spirit Days 1-30 –

Look for ways and create opportunities to be involved with your community this month.

Events – Share local community events on your social media sites.

Host a:

Spring Perennial Plant Exchange

Book Drive

Canned Food Drive

Aluminum Can tabs for the Ronald McDonald House

Free Stuff – Using your social media sites, post a list each day of 4+ random names OR local business names, anyone with those names or that work at the listed businesses can come into the office on that day only (during office hours) for a FREE gift (toothbrush, floss, lip balm, cookies, etc). Change up the names/business and prize for each day. Have a sign in the office so that your patients can notify their friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors about the free offer. Posting this on your social media sites will allow people to share the post, which will help to get your office name out in front of more people (potential patients). If you’re listing local businesses, be sure to write on their social media site pages and/or tag their business.

Team Building – Volunteer as a team to help out a local charity

National Pet Month – People love to talk and brag about their pets. Use this week to ask your friends/patients on your social media sites to post pictures of their pets. Post pictures of your team members pets. Turn it into a contest: the pet with the most likes wins a special treat.

Give-away: hand out dog treats packaged with your office information. Even if a patient doesn’t have a dog surely they know someone who does…great way to get your office name out there!

If you like these ideas, be sure to sign up to receive more FREE Dental Marketing Ideas right to your email inbox each month. Now, on to our focus…

Use this as an opportunity to educate your patients and folks in the community. With a goal of bringing in new patients.

Your offer is this:

Is There A Killer Hiding Under Your Nose?

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month

our office is pleased to offer FREE Oral Cancer Screenings

in a National Effort to END ORAL CANCER!

How can you promote your offer?

Send a Press Release to local newspapers & TV stations.

Create a one-page flier for your patients to share with their friends, family members, co-workers and neighbors. (If you need a sample OCS flier, I’m happy to send you one. Email: bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com)

Smoking and drinking are the most common risk factors, but that is changing.

The biggest risk factor now is the sexually transmitted virus called HPV, the same virus that can cause cervical cancer.

The Oral Cancer Foundation says over 48,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year alone (cause over 9,575 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day), the majority of those cases will be tied to HPV.

There is an epidemic of oral cancer among young people, unfortunately, due to oral sex.

Fastest growing segment of the oral cancer population are non-smokers under the age of fifty.

Additional risk factors include high alcohol consumption, the use of conventional smokeless (chewing/spit) tobacco, as well as prolonged exposure to the sun (for lip cancers).

Oral Cancer Screenings are quick and painless.

Hopefully, you are able to put into action some of these ideas for the month of April. I would love to hear how they turned out for you. Feel free to share with me any other marketing ideas you have planned for the Spring and to give this post a like. Thank you!

Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your email inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. This way, you won’t miss a single idea!

Are you looking to grow your pediatric dental office? Well, get your pen and paper ready because I’m going to share with you several dental marketing ideas for your pediatric office. Better yet, you might want to print out this article and discuss these idea’s with your team. Together, come up with a marketing plan that will help to make this your Best Year Yet!

Before we get started, keep in mind that the way to mom and dads heart is to treat their children well. The way to keep mom and dad loyal to your office is to treat their children exceptionally well. Why? Happy Kids = Happy Parents. As a mother of two children, I know this to be TRUE!

Skating Rink, Indoor Bounce/Trampoline, Movie Theater, Public Pool, Bowling, Local Park, etc. Invite your patients to bring a friend. Be sure to have imprinted give-away’s and information about your office at these events. Encourage all attendees to visit and like your social media pages.

Fun Dress Up/Theme Days –

What: Decorate the office, team dresses up, small prize give away’s and snacks.

Field Trips – Invite local schools and daycare’s for a free field trip to the dentist. (Serve a Healthy snack such as grapes, apple slices, string cheese and small bottled water, Present Education stations/demonstrations-visit the ADA website and Pinterest for great idea’s for presentations, Toothbrush bags for the students and teachers/parents, show a short Video while the kids eat their snack)

Outside the office –

What: On-site Short Dental Education Presentations/Demonstrations and Toothbrush gift bags for the kids and teachers/parents.

Where: School’s, Daycare’s, Library, Mom groups, etc.

New Patient Experience–

Give tour of the office, send a welcome card after first visit to the child (Kids LOVE to get mail), give a new patient gift bag, sign child up to join your office kids club/team.

Set aside some back-to-school and/or breaks from school special days in the office. Special pricing or promotion on Sealants, Ortho, Fluoride, etc. Consider doing a drawing for a Backpack filled with school supplies. Contest: nominate your favorite teacher (use social media sites to promote), prize idea’s for winning teacher: Breakfast/Lunch at the school, free teeth whitening, or team up with local businesses for prize donations.

Book Drive –

Collect new or gently used books to donate to your local library or schools. Promote via social media sites, local newspapers, in-office fliers, on continuing care postcards and to your current patients.

Incentive: Gift Basket (put together a fun themed gift basket) Every person that donates books can enter a drawing to win a gift basket. You do not need to be a patient of record to donate books.

Once you have collected all the books:

Take pictures of the books

Put together toothbrush gift bags w/office information and special offer to deliver to the employees of the library and or school.

Deliver books and gift bags to the library and or schools.

Reception Room –

In addition to being clean and with up-to-date decor consider having in your reception room: Video games (Stationary and/or handheld devices), Books (lending library), TV (children’s movies and short dental education videos) Wall of fame, digital photo frame or photo album filled with pictures of your patients. Photo “booth” area with backdrop and photo props. Tablet/Cell Phone charging station for parents.

Kid’s Club/Team –

I’m not a fan of “no cavity” clubs because I like to see all children have the opportunity to be part of the office kids club/team and sometimes, a child’s unfortunate cavity is the fault of the parent. Have a club/team that is just for fun and that rewards healthy habits. Take a picture of each child to hang on your wall of fame or in a digital photo frame or picture album, as well as for your website, newsletter and/or social media sites. Present child with a certificate/wristband/t-shirt when they sign up for your kids club. Have monthly contests/drawings that the children can enter to win prizes.

Utilize social media platforms to keep your current patients up to date with all of your office happenings, to build relationships with local businesses and connect with potential patients. See Social Media Site Posting Content Idea’s

Answer Your Phone –

Sure, you know that the office phone should be answered within the first couple of rings by an unhurried, friendly scheduling coordinator whose goal is to schedule an appointment and wow the caller with excellent customer service but if you want to see greater results from your marketing efforts, then you must be certain that your office phone is answered during times when patients are calling. Minimum: Monday – Saturday 8:00am – 6:00pm, including lunch hours. Invest in your entire teamby providing training on how to effectively answer the phone.

Forward your calls to an answering service if needed. Having a live person for the caller to talk to is so much better than your caller getting an answering machine or voice mail and then deciding to call the next dental office on their list in hopes of talking to a “live” person.

Also, despite our best intentions to not put a caller on hold we know that it still happens from time to time. Consider having an on hold message for these times, this way, you’ll have the opportunity to share office information, special offers, social media sites, etc. with the caller rather than them listen to nothing, an annoying beeping sound or lame music. See also: Should I Use A Message On Hold Service

Consistently Exceed Parent & Patient Expectations and Consistently Be Great! Give your patients something positive to talk about to their neighbors, workmates, friends and family members. Make it easy for them to refer patients to you. (If you need some idea’s to help Improve your Office, be sure to check out my Improve your Office series: First Impressions, Make A Change and The Little Things Matter.

While we’re at it, here are a few more bonus ideas 🙂 …

Blog/Website –Become the dental expert in your community. Post articles, videos and pictures on your website and social media sites about different dental treatments/products, sports safety, what to do in a dental emergency, etc. TIP: Pin your blog posts, articles, videos and pictures to your office Pinterest boards. Pinterest is a GREAT way to drive traffic to your website. If you don’t already have Pinterest for your office, add that to your to-do-list. Have a variety of family related boards such as dental health tips, recipes, crafts, party ideas, healthy snacks, book idea’s and more. Feel free to check out my Pinterest boards for idea’s.

Sponsor local sport teams –Free or reduced rate for mouthguards for local sports teams.

Distractions –TV’s in the treatment rooms, Ceiling Tile Scenery, Etc. Make the experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible for every child.

Post-Op Calls – Each evening place a “just wanted to see how well you’re doing call” to any patient that had an extraction or maybe was nervous or had a rough time during their visit.

First “Happy” Visit Experience –Take picture of child in the chair (maybe holding a first visit sign or certificate) and give to parent in a cute picture frame.

I know this is a lot of information but if you’re serious about wanting to grow your practice, then it’s worth it to take the time to market your practice effectively using some or all of the idea’s that I have shared with you today. Remember, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you don’t have to do this on your own, I’m here to help.

Before I go, here are a few Important Reminders:If you’re going to take the time to visit schools and local businesses be sure that you leave them with information about your office, special offers and imprinted gifts with your office name, phone number and website.

Also, keep track of your events, the businesses you visit, any donation requests, etc. Put specific referral source codes in to your software system, this way, when you ask “How did you hear about us?” you have the correct referral code to enter in and you’ll be able to acknowledge that source with a thank you as well as know what marketing is working to bring in new patients.

Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email inbox each month? If not, please subscribe today. Feel free to tell your dental friends all about us so they can start benefiting from these dental ideas too. If you liked these ideas, please let me know by hitting the “like” button. Thank you!!!

Many offices wonder what types of things they should post and share on their social media sites.

Vary the topics you post about. No one wants to only see dental related posts. Remember, WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) Appeal to your audience. Your current and potential patients.

Vary the times you post or share on your social media sites.

Don’t spam with too many posts in a day.

Here are some quick content ideas for you…

Dental Health Tips

Dental Emergency Instruction

How to Videos

Health Tips

Office Contest Information

Trivia Questions

Fill in the Blank statements

Quotes (Motivational, Funny and/or Inspiring)

Community News (Events, weather, sports news, etc)

Team Member News

Patient News

Product Information

News about Continuing Education

Employee Spotlight

Testimonials

Before and After Smiles

Pictures of team members having fun

Acknowledge all “like” and “comment” on your posts.

Share local business posts

Comment and like other businesses posts

Openings in Schedule (Don’t say “we have a cancellation” instead say something like: “_ has an opening in her schedule today at 11:00 for your all important dental hygiene visit…” Whatever you say, saying change in schedule is better than saying cancellation.

I understand that not all business owners (Doctors) & team members can find the time required to start and grow a social media site presence.

I happen to love working with social media as a dental marketing source. I’m ready to help your practice grow through the use of Social Media sites. Fresh content and posts just for your office! Done in a way that your patients and potential patients believe it’s coming straight from your office.

Contact me today bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com to set up your Complimentary Consultation.

Feel free to comment below and share your ideas and what content works well for your office.

Be sure to subscribe to receive our free dental marketing ideas right to your email inbox.